Observation reports contain comprehensive information about children. These are the type of documents that assess the development of a child. Of course, it’s difficult to fully comprehend the extent of the child’s development, even after studies and examinations, because they excel differently. Some have a great mental capacity and can tackle tougher physical challenges, while others are more able to cope with mental challenges. 

So, what do you need to know about observation reports?

How Are Observation Reports Created?

Children are observed and the examiner takes notes. A report is created and can be viewed by educators and parents. If you want to create an observation report, it’s important to plan how you’ll approach it. For instance, you need a schedule of when the observations will take place. 

You also need to identify what data you want to collect. For instance, social interactions are the main objective of the report. So, you should schedule the observation around a child’s playtime. This will give you ample opportunity to see how the child interacts with others in a school setting. You could even observe them throughout the week and report on changes in behavior and attitudes. It’s a great way to understand the progress of a child’s development. 

Of course, you need to choose your times effectively. For instance, children might take a little time to warm up and interact with others; so, you need to take note of this and observe them at the right time. You might not get the best results first thing in the morning, so find the opportune moment to observe them. 

What Data Should Be Collected in an Observation Report?

Ideally, you want to collect as much information as you can. Observation is the perfect opportunity to understand a child in greater detail. You can see how they interact with peers, their teachers, and the school environment. It’s important to note incidents as well as when the child is most active – such as during break or in class. Most children are influenced by their environment and what happens in that environment too. 

A little word of warning: if you want to use a voice recorder to make it easier for you to take notes, you’ll likely require the permission of teachers and parental consent too. 

How to Create an Observation Report?

Once you have observed the child in the school setting, you need to go over your notes and analyze the data. For instance, you see a pattern of behavior problems in music class. You look at what happened before the class, as well as during, and after. It might enable you to understand the behaviors of the child a little better. 

It is, however, important to stick to facts. You can make assumptions but those could be wrong; instead, focus on the events leading up to the incident and what happened after. It could allow you to find out why a child’s problem behavior begins. If you can find the trigger, you can find a solution too. 

You do need a simple format so that when you want to present or review the report, it’s easy to source the necessary facts quickly. So, start with the facts – times and dates. Then, write down what observations you made. It’s important to keep these facts simple and precise; you want them easy to read and understand. Then, finish with your analysis and whatever recommendations you want to make. This makes the report straightforward to understand. 

The Need for Observation Reports

Creating an observation report can be useful for parents and teachers alike. These store simple pieces of information about the child, such as their behaviors. It’s a great way to spot patterns in problem behavior and see how children interact with others around them. Your report needs to be simple, with no assumptions. You can find solutions to problems that can help a child in the long run.